Rebuilding the Vermont State House (1857-1859)

In the winter of 1857 the Vermont State House was gutted by fire
and a special session of the legislature convened to discuss rebuilding. The
legislators appointed three commissioners and a superintendent of
construction. George Perkins Marsh of Burlington, Norman Williams of
Woodstock and John Porter of Hartford were named to the commission; Dr.
Thomas E. Powers of Woodstock was to act as superintendent. A young Vermont
sculptor, Larkin G. Mead, Jr., was commissioned to design the statue to top
the dome.

Thomas William Silloway, a young Bostonian who had trained under
Ammi Young, creator of the previous State House, was appointed architect.
Silloway consulted Marsh, the most knowledgeable of the commissioners on
design issues. However, Silloway and Powers were soon at odds. Their
disagreements led to Silloway's resignation which he quickly rescinded. In
the interim, however, Powers appointed another architect, Joseph Richards,
to redesign several key features of the building. At Silloway's behest, a
House investigation concerning the dispute was held to examine Powers's
charges that Silloway was incompetant. The trusses supporting the dome, the
portico columns, and the heating system came under particular scrutiny.
Silloway was vindicated by the House committee but construction had
proceeded too far to restore his design. Powers then published a pamphlet
with his own defense. The State House re-opened in October 1859. Since it
had been completed with due speed and under budget ($150,000), most
observers declared it an unqualified success.

The letters in the University of Vermont Collection date from
March 11, 1857, when Marsh was first appointed to the Commission, and
continue to the end of 1859, when the legislature moved back into the
building. Most of the letters were written by Silloway to Marsh and discuss
his ideas and the problems he faced, both technical and personal, in
implementing them. In addition, we include selected published reports that
document the original intent of House members and spirited defenses by
Silloway and Powers justifying their actions.

For a detailed history of the 1858 reconstruction, see Daniel
Robbins, The Vermont State House. A History & Guide
(Vermont Council on the Arts, Vermont State House Preservation Committee,
1980).